LA City Council Votes Unanimously to Make City the Largest in the U.S. with Legal Marijuana Stores

The Los Angeles City Council has approved legislation establishing a regulatory framework for marijuana outlets, which become legal in California next month.

The council voted 12 to 0 to approve the regulations, which will soon see the city distributing licenses for marijuana stores. Residential neighborhoods will be mostly off limits under the new rules, with buffer zones created to ensure that cannabis outlets aren’t located too close to parks, schools or libraries. It’s unclear if the regulations will be in place in time for outlets to begin cannabis sales next month.

“As lawmakers we have a responsibility to reasonably regulate this industry in a manner that is safe, inclusive, and practical,” said Los Angeles City Council President Herb J. Wesson Jr. earlier today. In addition to Los Angeles, San Francisco officials also recently approved regulations for the legal marijuana industry.

Under Proposition 64, approved by voters last year, those 21 and older are allowed to possess and use up to an ounce of cannabis for any use, and are allowed to purchase it from a licensed retail outlet. The portion of the initiative that allows legal sales to begin takes effect next month.

Los Angeles, with a population of almost 4 million, is the most populated city in California and the second most populated city in the United States.